


Those Lights Keep Shining On

by Aphordite



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, I am an Asra Stan, It’s Christmas, Offscreen character death, Spoilers for book Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-20 22:23:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17031078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aphordite/pseuds/Aphordite
Summary: She had always loved the lights for the winter festival. So why was it so hard to remember her this time around?Spoilers for book Death





	1. Chapter 1

She had always loved the lights. When Vesuvia was lit up for the winter holidays Venus almost ran out into the streets a bright smile on her face. Every year she would put her arms out and spin in a circle, snow or sun. 

“It’s so beautiful Asra! Even more beautiful than the last.” She smiled, and his heart skipped a beat. 

Every year. Until this one. 

He was alone. Asra sat at window of her—their—his shop and watched each of the lights turn on for the celebration. Somehow they still managed to celebrate despite the incredible loss they had experienced. 

That _he_ had experienced.

He could hear Venus in his head. The lilt of her voice and the exact cadence. “It’s so beautiful!” And he let a small smile escape his lips. 

Before he remembered that she was not here to say it. He grabbed his coat regardless, like he was going to follow her. She always wanted to go for a walk to see every house, every place lit up. Often he would be following after her with a coat. “It’s not that cold!” She would protest. 

Asra walked, inspecting each buildings light display. Barely feeling the cold on his skin rubbing his hands together. It had not begun to snow yet but he could still feel the bitter cold on his face. He pulled up his scarf, the one Venus had gotten for him, to cover his nose. 

He had found himself stopping at the docks, looking back over toward that damned island, the one she had been sent too. 

It was _his_ fault. 

He could still feel the ashes under his nails. The wounds barely healed. And he felt the tears freezing in his eyes. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, clenched into fists. Chasing the ghost of Venus he could still clearly see skipping down the streets pointing at the lights. 

“Asra! We should put out lights on!” She said every time. 

Asra didn’t put lights up this year. She would be disappointed. 

He couldn’t do it, he couldn’t bear to celebrate without her. When he arrived back in the shop he suddenly felt the tears on his face. He removed his scarf, and his hat. And hung them back up. Before sitting back down in the back of the shop, pulling his books out again. 

She would see the lights next year, he had to make sure of it.


	2. Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas have more Angst from Julian’s POV. Kind of shorter than Asra’s but I can’t drag on angst it hurts too much.

“Julian! Hey! Hey! Julian!” Her voice cut through his memories as he stared at the window. He knew she wasn’t there, but still he could hear her as if she still was. 

“I can’t believe how pretty it looks. The snow.” The ghost of Venus staring out the window as she spoke. 

_Not as pretty as you._ He thought to himself waving away the memory, turning back to his work. Until that nagging memory returned. Forcing himself to put the pen down and getting up. 

She was gone but still here, and in his memories she was healthy, she was happy. And every time it snowed he replayed those last days with her, when she finally dragged him out of the office to play in the snow. 

_The days before he lost her. Before she got sick._

Venus showed up on his doorstep tear stained and cold. She had said she was here to help where she could and wouldn’t take no for an answer. It’s funny to think that girl would steal his heart and take off with it even now. 

He stepped into the snow outside to just take a moment to breathe. To clear his head of any distraction. 

He heard her laugh and saw her smile, one of the few times she ever did around him, he never did find out while she was so sad. A regret he holds onto. Words he never got to say. 

He saw the lights in the distance, she liked those too, but they didn’t get to see them. Because by the time that happened, she was already gone. 

He felt a tear stain his cheek, how long had Julian been crying? Before he turned and returned inside. If he could do one more thing for her, it would be to cure the illness that had taken her. He could do it. He promised her.

**Author's Note:**

> Meet VENUS! That’s my apprentice and she’s a cutie! 
> 
> Message me on tumblr or Twitter for my Arcana discord! 
> 
> @blackwell-ninja for tumblr  
> @rherm93 for Twitter


End file.
